A scholar of international relations writing in 2016 argues that the end of the Cold War did not eliminate European security dilemmas; instead, conflicts in the Balkans exposed limits of European-only crisis management and increased reliance on NATO and U.S. capabilities. The scholar highlights Bosnia and Kosovo as turning points. Which evidence best supports the scholar's claim?
- European neutrality treaties in 1815, which created a permanent continental police force that prevented all ethnic conflict and made NATO unnecessary after 1991.
- NATO-led military interventions and air campaigns in the 1990s Balkans, undertaken after European diplomacy failed to stop mass violence and ethnic cleansing. (correct answer)
- The immediate dissolution of NATO in 1991, followed by a unified European army that successfully managed Balkan wars without any external assistance.
- The Congress of Berlin's 1878 settlement, which ended Balkan nationalism permanently and ensured that Yugoslavia remained stable throughout the 1990s.
- The Warsaw Pact's peacekeeping operations in Kosovo, which demonstrated the continued strength of Soviet-led alliances and prevented NATO involvement.
Explanation: This question examines post-Cold War European security challenges, particularly in the Balkans. The correct answer B describes NATO-led interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo after European diplomacy failed, which directly supports the scholar's claim about limits of European-only crisis management. Choice A incorrectly references 1815 neutrality treaties as preventing ethnic conflict. Choice C falsely claims NATO dissolved in 1991. Choice D anachronistically suggests the 1878 Congress of Berlin prevented 1990s conflicts. Choice E incorrectly states the Warsaw Pact conducted peacekeeping in Kosovo. The strategy is to identify which option shows European reliance on NATO/US capabilities in the 1990s Balkans.